Discover the problems that unsafe file sharing can cause for an organization.

Unsafe file sharing practices are a problem that all organizations should prioritize to prevent. Why? Preventative measures are always better than having to put out fires or deal with serious damages to the network or worse. A data breach that was a result of unsafe file sharing may cause irreparable damage and can negatively affect the direction of the company or its employees. Consider the recent story of an I

RS agent who misplaced a flash drive containing the data of thousands of school district employees. Flash drives and consumer file sharing tools do not have the same security protocols as an enterprise-grade secure file sharing solution and therefore can’t be trusted as a secure or safe way to manage sensitive data.

Imagine being among those individuals whose data was misplaced. Their personal security and financial futures could be at risk of a negative credit rating or worse, if it turns out that their data fell into the wrong hands. While everyone should be vigilant about protecting themselves against identity theft, this particular story of misplaced data really emphasizes how important it is to take the proper precautions to prevent unsafe file sharing practices and, in turn, not make it so easy for the wrong people to steal yours or someone else’s data.

Flash drives, for example, are a very risky file sharing practice, because when these devices are misplaced, lost, or stolen, the data is at risk for misuse. In addition to the risk of a security breach, there are also other important risk factors to consider:

Non-Compliance: Regulations are in place to set a security standard and to protect consumers, users, patients or organizations. Failing compliance can cost an organization a lot of money and it can damage your credibility and reputation. It’s extremely important to consider that not all file sharing tools are equal.

Lack of visibility: Consumer file sharing tools make it impossible for your IT department to keep track of what is being downloaded or uploaded to your network. If an employee downloads a malicious file, then an entire organization could be at risk of having an infected network. If an employee uploads sensitive or proprietary data, your organization can risk breaking regulation or having your data fall in the wrong hands.

Productivity: If your IT department is busy fighting off what otherwise would have been a preventable fire, it’s a lot of time wasted that is better spent helping other members of the team maintain productivity, make sales quota, or keep clients happy.

Rogue employees: Unfortunately, there will be times when rogue employees may pose a threat to the company. Well-organized security practices can help prevent this from being a problem by catching incidents or recognizing ill-intentioned behavior early.

While you can’t prevent every bad thing from happening, you can prepare and empower your organization with the right tools and training to ensure a secure network that is conducive to productivity.